Sold-out control mechanism for double-depth stack article vender



Jan. 7, 1969 H. R. cRAvEN ETAL 3,420,404

-OUT CONTROL MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE-DEPTH SOLD Sheet STACK ARTICLE VENDER Filed Aug. 9, 1967 INVENTORS.

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H. R. cRAvEN ET AL 3,420,404 SOLD-OUT CONTROL MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE-DEPTH STACK ARTICLE VENDER Jan. 7, 1969 Sheet Filed Aug. 9, 1967 INVENTORS. Hel/mon l?. Craven John W. BaxendQ/e United States Patent O M 9 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE Sold-out control mechanism for either staggered or single stack double-depth vending `machines operable to deactivate the article release structure for respective front and rear columns using only a single switch located in an easily accessible position and actuated by mechanical article sensors associated with corresponding article stacks. The actuator button of the switch is positioned to be operated by an outturned projection on the article-sensing Hap associated with the front column while the article-sensing plate on the rear column carries a I-shaped extension located to engage a crank arm in turn operably associated with a pivotal member having a lip disposed to engage the switch actuator.

This invention relates to control mechanism for a double-depth vending machine having front and rear columns for receiving articles to be successively dispensed from either staggered or single upright stacks. Specifically, the control mechanism includes mechanical structure for sensing the level of articles in respective front and rear columns and which is operable to eifect actuation of a common switch controlling the release mechanism for the front and rear columns lby movement of either of the article sensors to a location indicating exhaustion of articles from that column or depletion thereof below a preselected level.

The mechanism of this invention is particularly adapted for adding sold-out control to the rear column of either staggered or single stack, Idouble-depth vending machines which are arranged to 4dispense Ifrom front and rear columns alternately while still employing the single sold-out switch for each pair of front and rear columns as previously used. The sold-out mechanism is useful for various types of article dispensing machines but has primary utility in double-depth can or bottle beverage vending machines wherein release of the articles is successively accomplished by removal of the support for the lowermost article of alternate columns, while at the same time providing support for all of the articles in the other column as well as those immediately above the article released.

A double-depth vending machine for dispensing cylindrical type articles is shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,231,129 but in this machine, sold-out sensing mechanism was provided only for the front columns requiring the servicing attendant to always make certain that the rear columns of the machine were loaded at the same level or higher than the front columns to preclude loss of customer deposit.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide sold-out control mechanism for a doubledepth article vending machine as described above which precludes loss of customer deposit because of a rear column becoming `depleted of articles `before depletion of the corresponding front column by virtue of the provision of article-sensing structure in association with each pair of front and rear columns with both sensors being operable to deactivate the article release mechanism associated with the columns from which articles have been exhausted. In this respect it is another important object of the invention to provide sold-out control mechanism as 3,42 ,abil Patented `lan. '7, 1969 ICC described wherein the article sensors are constructed and arranged so as to independently operate a sold-out switch located in an easily accessible location, not only from the standpoint of initial assembly of the overall mechanism, but also for ready servicing thereof. By virtue of this arrangement, the use of separate switches for associated front and rear columns is avoided, thereby providing for space conservation and eliminating the problems inherent in attempts to locate control switches in association with the rear article sensors and which would thus, of necessity, `be in relatively inaccessible positions,

It is another important object of the invention to provide sold-out control mechanism for a double-depth vending machine of the type illustrated in Patent No. 3,231,129, for example, wherein the article sensors provided in aligned front and rear columns are both independently operable to shift the actuator button of a common sold-out switch on the front column which thereby prevents jackpotting of whatever articles should remain in the 'front col-umn after exhaustion of articles from the rear column which could result from uncontrolled oscillation from side-to-side of a free-tioating article support bail provided in such machine to control delivery of articles from respective columns onto the alternately releasable supports therebelow controlled by the coin-actuated vending mechanism of the machine.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a side elevational view of one type of double-depth article vending machine especially designed to vend cylindrical articles such as bottled or canned beverages and showing the article sensors and associated structure for actuating the com-mon sold-out switch mounted on the front column of the machine;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views taken substantially on the lines 2 2 and 3 3 respectively of FIG. l; and

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary, front elevational views of the sold-out control mechanism vwith FIG. 4 showing the normal position of the components when both columns have sutlicient articles therein to cause the article sensors to be retained in one of their positions thereof, FIG. 5 is a similar showing but illustrating the component positions when the rear column is sold out, while FIG. 6 illustrates the relative disposition of the components when the front column is sold out.

Reference is ymade to U.S. Patent No. 3,231,129 and particularly FIGS. 9-12 for a showing of a 4double-depth article vending machine for products such as bottled or canned beverages in generally cylindrical containers therefor, and which is illustrative of a particular type of dispensing unit for which the sold-out control mechanism of this invention is especially useful.

The front and rear column structure shown herein differs only in configurational details from that shown in the above-referenced patent and includes a front wall unit 10 and a rear wall 12 spaced therefrom with the distance therebetween being somewhat greater than twice the front-to-rear dimension of an article to be dispensed from the vending machine. Upright dividers 14 extend between the front wall unit 10 and rear wall 12 to segregate the machine into a number of compartments extending across the width thereof and for purposes of illustration; only two of such dividers have been shown, but it is to be understood that there will be at least a suliicient number to provide a separate compartment for each pair of front and rear article-receiving columns.

Opposed, inwardly directed channels 16 divide the compartments into a rear compartment chamber 18 and a front compartment chamber 20. The lower portions of channels 16 designated as dividers 22 are bent inwardly toward one another to an extent to cause the lower extremities thereof to be spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the cross-sectional diameter of articles to be dispensed from the machine. Crossbar 24 interconnects the dividers 22 at a point substantially midway between the ends thereof, while the lower extremities of the same are joined to a front, inclined article guide panel 26 and a rear, inclined article guide panel 28 respectively. As is evident from FIGS. 1-3 inclusive, each of the guide panels 26 and 28 has an upper, slightly inclined panel portion 30 and an intermediate panel portion 32 of greater inclination than portion 30 and provided with an opening 34 therein, and a lower, generally Z-shaped portion 36 provided with a downturned leg section connected to a respective divider 14.

A pair of releasable article supports 38 and 40 are mounted in underlying relationship to the compartment chambers 18 and 28, while a swingable, longitudinally Z- shaped bail 42 is pivotally mounted above the supports 38 and 49 for alternate swinging movement across the narrow width of the compartment between dividers 14. The specific construction and operation of supports 38 and 48 along with bail 42 may be best understood by reference to U.S. Patent No. 3,231,129. The inclined guides 26 and 28 however, serve to direct the lowermost articles of the stack thereof in chamber Ztl toward the left, viewing FIG. 3, whereas the rear guide 28 directs the articles of the rear stack to the right for successive release of articles from the front and rear columns under the control of supports 38 and 40 operating in conjunction with the swingable bail 42.

Means for deactivating the release structure associated with the supports 38 and 4t) includes a sold-out switch 44 mounted on a bracket 46 carried by front wall unit It) substantially intermediate dividers 14 as shown in FIG. 2. The sold-out switch 44 is located so that the actuator button 48 controlling the internal contacts thereof, extends upwardly as best shown in FIG. 4. The front wall unit has an opening 50 therein which clears the front article sensor broadly designated 52, in turn having an elongated ap section 54 located behind wall unit 10 within chamber 28 and connected to an -outwardly extending projection 56 which extends from `the front face of wall unit 10 at an obtuse angle with respect to flap section S4 as shown in FIG. 1. Sensor 52 has mounting segments 58 thereon which receive pin 60 carried by opposed ears 62 turned outwardly from the panel of front wall unit 10 adjacent opening 58. Torsion spring 64 coiled around pin 60 between mounting segments 58 and having outwardly extending opposed legs engaging projection 56 and the panel of front wall unit 10 adjacent thereto respectively bias sensor 52 in a counterclockwise direction viewing FIG. l. As is also evident from this figure, the projection 56 is of sufficient transverse width to overlie the actuator button 48 of control switch 44. The flap 54 is of sufficient dimension in an upright direction to contact one or more articles in .the front stack thereof and thus retain the sensor 52 in substantially the position thereof illustrated in FIG.- l.

The rear sensor 66 forming a part of the sold-out control mechanism includes an irregularly-shaped plate 68 located in rear compartment chamber 18 and having a pair of upper segments 70 rebent upon themselves to produce sleeves for receiving the long leg 72 of a generally J-shaped rod extension 74 which isreceived within suitable openings therefor in dividers 22 and is thus supported by the latter directly beneath crossbar 24. Extension 74 has a relatively short bight 76 integral with leg 72 adjacent guide 26 along with a short leg 78 in substantial parallelism with leg 72 but spaced therefrom in a direction toward front wall unit 10. As is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2 the leg 78 and bight 76 are located between guide 26 and the proximal divider 14.

Crank arm 80 mounted on the rear face of portion 30 of guide 26 through the medium of pivot structure 82 has a section 84 located to be engaged by leg 78 of extension 74, While the opposite end section 86 of arm 80 projects through an opening 88 therefor in the panel portion of front wall unit 1t) supporting sold-out switch bracket 46.

An irregularly-shaped operating member 90 has a generally U-shaped central portion 92 mounted on bracket 46 for swinging movement through the medium of pivot 94 best shown in FIGS. 4-6 inclusive with the right-hand segment 96 of member 98 as shown in these gures being located in overlying relationship to the extremity 86 of crank arm 80, while an outturned lip 98 on the opposite end of central portion 92 is located to directly engage the actuator 48 of switch 44 beneath projection 56. Coil spring 100 on leg 72 of extension 74 between segments 70 has opposed legs which engage the plate 68 and crossbar 24 to bias the plate 68 in a counterclockwise direction viewing FIG. 1 to sense the presence of articles in chamber 18.

In the operation of the vending machine as shown and described herein, a series of canned or bottled beverages to be dispensed are placed in the structures defining charnbers 18 and 2t) respectively and in substantially staggered relationship as illustrated by the dotted line -articles of FIG. 3, but it is to be understood that the present invention is equally applicable for stacked article dispensers wherein the articles are in substantially vertical alignment throughout the extent of the columnar supports therefor. The way in which the articles are successively released from respective chambers 18 and 28 is fully described in the above-mentioned Patent No. 3,231,129.

Articles in the chambers 18 and 20 also engage sensors 52 and 66 respectively, causing the projection 56 on flap section 54 to be maintained in the actuated position thereof against the action of spring 64 as illustrated in FIG. l. Similarly, the plate 68 engages articles in chamber 18 whereby the sensor 52 is retained in the dotted line position of the same as shown in FIG. l, causing the lip 98 of member 90 to be retained in the location thereof shown in FIG. 4. The spring normally maintaining switch actuator button 48 in the uppermost position thereof serves to keep the member 90 in the position of the same shown in FIG. 4.

Should the level of articles in chamber 20 fall to a point whereby sensor 52 is permitted to swing in a counterclockwise direction under the influence of spring 64, the projection 56 moves downwardly into engagement with lip 98 of member 90, as shown in FIG. 6, and thereby forces the latter t-o rotate through an arc to effect depression of actuator 48 and opening of the contacts thereof to deactivate the control solenoid associated with the respective supports 38 and 40 controlling successive release of articles from alternate upright stacks. In this manner, as soon as the level of articles in the front column thereof falls to a level releasing sensor 52, further dispensing of articles from the aligned front and rear columns is precluded until resupply of the machine by a serviceman.

In like manner, when the level of articles in the rear chamber 18 falls below a level where the sensor 66 is retained in the position thereof illustrated in FIG. l, the plate 68 is permitted to swing to the full-line location thereof, whereupon the extension 74 rigidly coupled thereto is rotated about the axis of leg 72 causing leg 78 to move downwardly and swing crank arm 80 in a clockwise direction. Rotation of arm 80 causes counterclockwise swinging movement of member 90, viewing FIGS. 4-6, to, in turn, 'move the lip 98 downwardly through an arc effecting opening of the contacts of switch 44 as the switch actuator 48 is depressed as illustrated in FIG. 5.

It can now be appreciated that depletion of articles in either the chambers 18 and 28 to a level permitting movement of sensors 52 or 66 to the actuated positions thereof, results in deactivation of the release mechanism associated with both of the front and rear columns, This prevents customer loss of his deposit should the serviceman fail to load the rear chamber of the compartment to a level equal to or higher than the level of articles in the front column. This result is accomplished in a particularly economical manner because all of the components are of mechanical nature with the exception of a single sold-out switch mounted on the front of the article support structure. In addition, the single sold-out switch for each selection of articles represented by a pair of front and rear columns is readily accessible for servicing and such disposition is advantageous from a fabrication standpoint in view of the fact that it is not necessary to run wires back into the interior of the article-receiving columns to accommodate the switches located adjacent the rear chambers 18.

In addition, jackpotting of products from the front column after depletion of products in the rear column is precluded and which could occur by uncontrolled freefloating of bail 42 if the switch 44 was not operable to deactivate release of supports 38 and 40` whenever either of the columns from front to rear is depleted by virtue of uneven loading of such columns of articles to be successively dispensed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a double-depth vending machine having upright front and rear column structure for receiving stacks of articles and release means operable to successively release articles from respective stacks, the combination with said structure and the release means of sold-out control mechanism comprising:

a control unit Ipositioned adjacent one of the column structures and having a movable actuator operable to deactivate the release means upon shifting of the actuator;

a movable article sensor adjacent the lower part of each structure and each being positioned to engage and be retained in one location by an adjacent article in a respective stack and movable to another location when the level of articles in a corresponding stack falls below such sensor; and

means independently operable by both of said sensors for effecting shifting of the actuator in response to movement of either of the sensors to said other locations thereof.

2. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor on one of the column structures is mounted for pivoting movement in disposition proximal to the control unit and has an article-engaging flap, said actuator operating means including a projection on said ap of the sensor and extending outwardly from the flap in a direction to effect direct shifting of the actuator in response to movement of the flap and thereby the projection thereon.

3. Mechanism as lset forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor on one of the column structures is mounted for pivoting movement in disposition remote from the control unit and has an article-engaging plate and said actuator operating means includes a member pivotally mounted adjacent the control unit in disposition for one extremity thereof to effect shifting of the actuator in response to pivoting of the member, an extension on said plate movable with the latter, and linkage operable by the extension to pivot the member in a direction to effect shifting of the actuator in response to movement of the plate when the articles in the corresponding stack fall below the level of said plate.

4. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sensor on one of the column structures is mounted for pivoting movement adjacent to the control unit and has an article-engaging flap and the sensor on the other column structure is provided with an article-engaging plate mounted for pivoting movement remote from the control unit, said actuator operating means including a projection on said flap of the sensor associated with said one column structure and extending outwardly from the flap in a direction to effect direct shifting of the actuator in response to movement of the flap and thereby the projection thereon, an extension of the plate of the sensor associated with said other column structure and movable with the plate, a member pivotally mounted adjacent the control unit in disposition for one extremity thereof to effect shifting of the actuator in response to pivoting of the member, and linkage operable by the extension to pivot the member in a direction to effect shifting of the actuator in response to movement of the plate when the articles in the corresponding stack fall below the level of the plate.

5. Mechanism as set forth in claim 4, wherein said member is provided with a lip thereon positioned to engage the actuator and located between the latter and the projection on said flap.

6. Mechanism as set forth in claim 4, wherein said member is mounted for pivoting movement about an axis proximal to the control unit and has a lip thereon positioned to effect shifting of the actuator, said extension on the plate being of generally J-shaped configuration and having a long leg connected to and rotatable by said plate and a short leg spaced from said long leg, said linkage including a crank arm mounted for pivotal movement about an axis between the sensor with one end of the arm positioned to be engaged by the short leg of said extension and the opposite end of the arm being disposed to engage the extremity of said member opposite the lip thereon to effect pivoting thereof in response to swinging of the plate and thereby rotation of the short leg of Said extension about the axis of the long leg thereof.

7. Mechanism as set forth in claim 6, wherein said plate is mounted on the long leg of said extension and rigidlly affixed thereto.

8. Mechanism as set forth in claim 6, wherein said control unit is an electric switch and the'actuator is connected to the contacts thereof for opening and closing such contacts.

9. Mechanism as set forth in claim 6, wherein said flap and the projection thereon are rotatable about an axis in generally perpendicular relationship to the axis of pivoting movement of said member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS STANLEY H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

